FINGERTIP COVER AND METHOD OF DISPENSING SAME
Various embodiments of the present disclosure include a fingertip cover for preventing direct contact between a user's fingertip and a surface. The cover may be removably secured to a fingertip. In an example embodiment, the cover comprises a flexible substrate sized and configured to be placed on and conform to an area of the user's fingertip. At least a portion of the substrate may be conductive to allow transmission of an electric charge from the fingertip to the surface, such as a touch-screen. The cover allows operation of the touch-screen by the user, while preventing direct contact between the fingertip cover and touch-screen.
This patent application claims the benefit of priority, under 35 U.S.C. 119(e), to Koffi, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/513,582 filed Jul. 30, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and made a part hereof.
BACKGROUNDIt will be appreciated that finger or hand covering devices, such as thimbles or gloves, have been in use for years. One significant problem with conventional gloves and the like is that their insulating nature renders them unsuitable for use with certain touch-screens. Moreover, some gloves are bulky and hamper precision touches. Many hinder the manual dexterity, and lack the preferred texture and gliding ability, required to effectively and easily operate touch-screen surfaces. Some modern touch-screen surfaces are increasingly provided on small portable electronic devices, for example. Another problem with conventional hand or finger covers is that they are not conveniently put on or taken off, nor are they conveniently worn by some individuals as they cover the entire hand or finger and can become over-heated or sweaty. Another problem with conventional hand or finger covers is that they do not wipe away or clean a screen of fingerprints, finger oils, smudges and so forth from the surface of such screens. While conventional covering devices may, in certain circumstances, be suitable for the particular purpose they address, they are often not conveniently disposable nor are adapted to isolate one or more fingertips in a convenient or cost-effective manner.
SUMMARYThe present inventors have recognized, among other things, that a problem to be solved is that many people, when approaching touch-screens or similar devices, can be discouraged by the appearance of smudges and fingerprints on the screen. A dirty appearance, or the possibility of contacting germs, is discouraging. Users generally prefer to be isolated from such contaminants. Aesthetically, many users in any event dislike the visual appearance of smudges that can accumulate on a screen in use. A cleaner, more hygienic, environment at the screen surface is preferred.
The present subject matter can help provide a solution to this problem, such as by providing a fingertip cover for minimizing the appearance and creation of fingerprints or smudge deposits on an electronic touch-screen or other surface operated or contacted by the human fingertip. In another example embodiment, a fingertip cover is designed to clean such surfaces. Other solutions and example embodiments are described further below. In an example embodiment, a fingertip cover is designed for use with capacitive touch screens.
Some embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:
Turning now to the drawings, similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views.
In this specification, the term “fingertip” is intended to include a thumb tip, and the term refers generally to the rounded portion at the end of person's finger (or thumb) 16.
In other embodiments of the cover, the shape of the cover may allow it to be secured to a fingertip in use. For example, the substrate 12 may be provided in generally conical form to substantially enclose the entire fingertip. In some embodiments, the substrate may be substantially inflexible and may comprise a metallic or hard plastics material, for example.
In various other embodiments, the material of the substrate 12 may be of such a nature that it inherently clings to the skin of a human fingertip, for example in the manner of a cling- or shrink-wrap material. The cover 10 may in other examples frictionally engage a human finger tip to remain secured in place. One side of the substrate may be provided in rougher form than the other, with the rougher side being adapted to engage a finger tip in a secure manner. The other side of the substrate cover may be less rough to slide easily over a surface. In some embodiments, the less rough side may be very smooth, or comprise or have a friction-reducing material or non-abrasive agent applied to it, such as a wax or silicon. The reduction of friction augments the ability of the cover to glide smoothly over a surface.
An alternate version of the cover may envelop the fingertip. A top side of the cover may cover a user's finger nail and, with the use of adhesive for example, hold the cover in place. The rougher and more rigid topography of a user's finger nail, as opposed to skin, may increase the tenacity of the adhesive's engagement. A bottom or “working” side of the cover may be situated on the other side of the fingertip for use by the user on touch surfaces.
Viewed conceptually, in some of the example embodiments and methods described above, the fingertip cover 10 “self-adheres” to a human fingertip. The cover 10 does not require (but nevertheless may comprise) separate attachment means to secure it to a fingertip.
Reference is now made to
As shown in
In some embodiments, a cover 10 may have a generally semi-circular shape in plan outline. As shown in
The straight edge 26 of the cover may be about one inch in length with the other dimensions of the cover sized accordingly. As shown in
The backing strip 20 may include a waxed material to facilitate removal of each cover from the backing strip. The backing strip 20 may allow a cover 10 to be re-secured to the backing strip after initial release. In some embodiments, perforations 22 are provided in the backing strip to allow individual portions of the backing strip to be torn off. The perforations 22 may for example extend transversely across the backing strip in a linear or curved outline, as shown in
Optionally, as show in
The substrate 12 of a cover 10 may be shaped or be deformable to conform and self-adhere to a user's fingertip, as described above. The cover 10 may in some embodiments be secured to a fingertip by other attachment methods. In an example embodiment, attachment means may be provided in the form of an adhesive or glue applied to area of the substrate 12 intended to be secured to a fingertip in use. The substrate 12 can be secured to the fingertip using a non-residue glue so that the cover can be removed from a fingertip without leaving trace elements or sticky patches of glue on the fingertip. In various embodiments, the adhesive means can include a hypoallergenic substance or material. Advantageously, the cover 10 can be worn from a few minutes to several hours without skin irritation and discomfort. Other types of adhesive or glue can be used, as appropriate.
In another embodiment, the substrate 12 may be secured to the fingertip by enveloping the fingertip in an overlapping manner so to stick to itself. In other embodiments, the substrate 12 may wrap around a portion, or all, of the fingertip and utilize small elastic or rubber bands, or “hook-and-loop” material or small magnets, for example at an edge of the cover, to hold the cover 10 in place. The adhesive or glue may cover an entire surface of the substrate, or in other embodiments, the disposition of the adhesive may allow at least a portion of the substrate to remain unattached to the user's fingertip. The unattached portion may define a release tab to facilitate removal of the cover from the fingertip after use. The cover may include a supplementary small strip area, or release tab. The release tab may be provided at one edge of the cover and carry no adhesive to allow, when pulled, an easier removal of the cover from the fingertip.
In various embodiments, the substrate 12 of the fingertip cover 10 may include a cloth-like material, paper or paper-like material, a film material, or other flexible material. Flexible materials may include nonwoven materials, such as a spun-lace, a melt-blown, or a spun-bond material. The substrate material may be needle punched or perforated in some manner. The material may in some embodiments include a breathable or biodegradable material. The properties of the substrate material may be selected so that the cover does not leak adhesive or glue in normal use. The substrate may also be provided with a surface cleaning agent, or may comprise or include a material that inherently acts as a cleaning material. The substrate may for example be made of tissue paper or a similar material that makes the cover a natural surface wiper or cleaner.
Some embodiments of the fingertip cover 10 may conveniently be used with an electronic capacitive touch-screen. As the human body is an electrical conductor, touching the surface of such a screen results in a distortion of the screen's electrostatic field, measurable as a change in capacitance. An electric charge is allowed to pass from fingertip to screen. Conventional devices that may cover a fingertip hinder or prevent the transmission of such a charge. Capacitive touch-screens requiring transmission of an electric charge are therefore rendered substantially inoperable, or at least difficult to operate with conventional devices.
In some embodiments, at least a portion of the substrate 12 of the cover 10 is conductive to allow transmission of an electric charge from the fingertip to a touch-screen or other surface. Typically, the conductive portion of the substrate will in use be interposed between the user's fingertip and the surface as the screen is operated. The conductive portion may be provided in any convenient area of the substrate, for example as shown by the circular patch at 18 in
In various embodiments, the substrate 12 may include electrically conductive material. In some embodiments, the substrate may include electrically non-conductive material on or in which an electrically conductive material is provided to allow transmission of an electric charge between the user's fingertip and the surface. The electrically conductive material may include a metallic mesh, thread or foil embedded in or on the material of the substrate. In some embodiments, the thickness of at least a portion of the substrate does not exceed 0.020 of an inch. The thin nature of this material, whether inherently electrically conductive or not, provides the cover with sufficient conductivity to allow the passing of a charge between fingertip and screen.
Some embodiments of the present inventive subject matter include methods for dispensing fingertip covers. One such embodiment is illustrated generally in
The method may further comprise providing adhesive means on at least one cover to secure the cover to a user's fingertip once released from the backing strip. The adhesive means on the at least one cover may secure the respective cover in releasable manner to the backing strip, and allow subsequent securement of the cover to the backing strip after initial release.
The backing strip may be an elongate backing strip carrying at least one series of said fingertip covers along its length. In an example embodiment, the elongate strip may be provided in a rolled configuration. The rolled backing strip may be provided in, or capable of being installed in, a dispenser. The dispenser may define a lip which can peel a cover off the backing strip as the backing strip is withdrawn from the dispenser. The rolls can conveniently be loaded in manual and/or automatic dispensers.
In another example embodiment, the cover may carry adhesive only at the edges of the cover, but not in a central area. For example, with reference to
Another example embodiment of a set of covers 80 is shown in
Reference is now made to
Each cover 10 in
In
In some example embodiments, the cover 10 may be provided with metallic or other conductive material to allow the electric charges present at the tip of the human finger to reach the touch surface of a screen. This allows a cover composed of otherwise electrically insulating material to become conductive of electricity.
The cover is conveniently disposable, and is generally expected to be used one time only and be discarded thereafter. Alternatively, the cover may be reattached to a backing strip or other convenient surface for re-use. The substrate may be constructed from a durable material that can be used for extended periods without significant change in the properties of the cover.
In an example embodiment, the cover may be used as a cleaning device. It allows a user to clean personal devices. In more public settings, such as airport kiosks, museum touch-screen displays, self-checkout stations, ATM's and the like, the cover may be used to clean the screen as the cover is being used. An antiseptic or cleaning agent may be provided in the cover.
The backing strip may comprise a part-cut or perforated backing or wax paper. In an example embodiment, a fingertip cover is disposed across a cut or perforation in the backing strip so that when the backing strip is torn along the cut or perforation, a portion of the underside of the cover is exposed. The exposed portion of the cover may be gripped by a user to facilitate peeling the rest of the cover off the backing strip.
The cover is in some embodiments able to glide easily and smoothly on touch-screens such as those found on the Apple iPad, or other computer tablets.
The cover may in some embodiments work on various types of touch-screens, including: resistive, surface acoustic wave, capacitive, surface capacitance, projected capacitance, mutual capacitance, self-capacitance, infrared, optical imaging, dispersive signal technology and acoustic pulse recognition screens.
The fingertip cover may also optionally be used to handle delicate objects (for example glass and jewelry) on which fingertip deposits are unwanted.
The cover 10 minimizes in use the deposition on or pick-up from surfaces of fingertip deposits, smudge, and other contaminants. Contact with germs, bacteria, viruses and the like can also be inhibited. In contagious outbreaks, or other emergency situations for example, the ability to reduce the rapid spread of disease can be crucial. Covers of the type described herein can be used with great facility in various prophylactic applications. In some applications, covers of the kind described herein could be issued by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), or other health (World Health Organization) or government authority as appropriate to restrain the spread of disease.
The cover 10 can be used in many other applications or environments. Potential users can include people using touch-screens at airports, banks, supermarkets, kiosks, elevator buttons which require the use of or include touch surfaces. The cover 10 described and claimed herein can provide an inexpensive and disposable fingertip protection and covering device. In other applications for example, the hygienic use of public toilet seats can be facilitated. A small dispenser of fingertip covers can also be presented on a vehicle dashboard or console, for example, and particularly provided conveniently adjacent any touch-screen or control surface in the vehicle.
Non-Limiting EmbodimentsWhile the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for the elements thereof without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made without departing from the essential teachings of the invention. Moreover, each of the non-limiting examples described herein can stand on its own, or can be combined in various permutations or combinations with one or more of the other examples.
The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as “examples.” Such examples can include elements in addition to those shown or described. However, the present inventors also contemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided. Moreover, the present inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of those elements shown or described (or one or more aspects thereof), either with respect to a particular example (or one or more aspects thereof), or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein.
In the event of inconsistent usages between this document and any documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in this document controls.
In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more.” In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated. In this document, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Also, in the following claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, composition, formulation, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.
The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b), to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description as examples or embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that such embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Claims
1. A fingertip cover comprising:
- a substrate sized and configured to be placed on and conform to at least a portion of a fingertip of a user;
- wherein at least a portion of the substrate is conductive to allow the transmission of an electric charge from the fingertip portion to a contact surface.
2. The fingertip cover of claim 1, wherein the substrate is flexible.
3. The fingertip cover of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the substrate can self-adhere to the fingertip portion thereby to hold the cover in place on the fingertip portion.
4. The fingertip cover of claim 1, further including an attachment surface to hold the cover in place on the fingertip portion.
5. The fingertip cover of claim 1, wherein the contact surface is a touch-screen and the transmission of an electric charge from the fingertip portion to the contact surface allows operation of the touch-screen by the user.
6. The fingertip cover of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes electrically conductive material.
7. The fingertip cover of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes electrically non-conductive material on or in which an electrically conductive material is provided to allow transmission of an electric charge from the fingertip portion to the contact surface.
8. The fingertip cover of claim 7, wherein the electrically conductive material includes a metallic mesh or thread.
9. The fingertip cover of claim 4, wherein the attachment surface includes an adhesive.
10. The fingertip cover of claim 9, wherein the adhesive covers the entire surface of one side of the cover.
11. The fingertip cover of claim 1, further comprising a release tab.
12. The fingertip cover of claim 9, wherein the adhesive includes a hypoallergenic substance or material.
13. The finger tip cover of claim 1, wherein one or more notches are provided around the periphery of the substrate.
14. The finger tip cover of claim 1, wherein the substrate is provided with a surface cleaning agent.
15. The fingertip cover of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes biodegradable material.
16. The fingertip cover of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a nonwoven material.
17. The fingertip cover of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a breathable material.
18. The fingertip cover of claim 1, wherein the thickness of at least a portion of the substrate does not exceed 0.020 of an inch.
19. The fingertip cover of claim 1, further comprising a releasable backing strip on which the cover is provided.
20. The fingertip cover of claim 19, wherein the backing strip is a business card or a credit card.
21. A kit or set including:
- at least one finger tip cover, the or each cover comprising a flexible substrate sized and configured to be placed on and conform to at least a portion of a fingertip of a user; and
- a releasable backing strip on which the at least one cover is provided.
22. The kit or set of claim 21, wherein, for the (or each) cover, at least a portion of the substrate is conductive to allow the transmission of an electric charge from the fingertip portion to a contact surface.
23. The kit or set of claim 21, wherein the number of fingertip covers in the kit or set is between 5 and 12.
24. The kit or set of claim 21, wherein at least one fingertip cover in the kit or set is of different size than at least one other fingertip cover in the kit or set.
25. A method of manufacturing or dispensing fingertip covers comprising:
- providing at least one finger tip cover, the at least one cover comprising a flexible substrate sized and configured to be placed on and conform to a portion of a fingertip of a user;
- providing at least one backing strip; and
- securing the at least one cover on the backing strip in releasable manner so that a user can release the at least one cover from the backing strip for placement on a portion of a fingertip of the user.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the substrate of the at least one cover is conductive to allow the transmission of an electric charge from the fingertip portion to a contact surface.
27. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing adhesive on the at least one cover to secure a respective cover, once released from the backing strip, to the fingertip portion.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the adhesive on the at least one cover secures the at least one cover in releasable manner to the backing strip, and allows subsequent securement of the at least one cover to the backing strip after initial release.
29. The method of claim 25, wherein the backing strip is an elongate backing strip carrying at least one series of fingertip covers along its length.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein the elongate strip is provided in a rolled configuration.
31. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing the rolled strip in a dispenser.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein the dispenser defines a lip which can peel a cover off the backing strip as the backing strip is withdrawn from the dispenser.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 13, 2012
Publication Date: Jan 31, 2013
Applicant: PRINTSGUARD CORPORATION (Burlingame, CA)
Inventors: Sylvain Y. Koffi (Burlingame, CA), Monica Ha (Burlngame, CA)
Application Number: 13/495,415
International Classification: A41D 13/08 (20060101);